The present invention comprises a new Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima and hereinafter referred to by the variety name ‘SYEP216’.
‘SYEP216’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar has brilliant red bracts with creamy white speckles, dark green foliage, bracts and leaves with pointed lobes, mid season flowering, and about medium sized, tight plant habit.
‘SYEP216’ originates from a naturally occurring whole plant mutation discovered in the parent variety ‘Fisson Jinglet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,721). The mutation was discovered in the late fall of 2004, among a population of approximately 1000 single stemmed young plants of the parent variety in Hillscheid, Germany. Terminal tip cuttings of the new mutation selection were propagated and further trialed. A single plant section was again then selected in 2005 as SYEP216′. Terminal cuttings were then propagated and grown from this selection in the late fall of 2005 in Hillscheid, Germany.
Examinations continued thereafter on a larger scale, and have demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘SYEP216’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar has not been applied for. ‘SYEP216’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application. ‘SYEP216’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.